Pages

Wednesday, 22 May 2013

Writing a book, illustrated or otherwise, authors have to have a certain image in their heads. They create characters from description; illustrators turn those few words into pictures. At the best of times, these produce character images which are almost alive - like these sketches from Terry Denton, for Michael Wagner's playful Maxx Rumble series.

Wednesday, 15 May 2013

In need of a little cuteness for the afternoon? Feast your eyes upon these pages from our absolutely adorable Oh Baby! The A to Z. Leave a comment with your caption for these gorgeous animals, and you'll be entered to win a copy of Oh Baby! in hardback or board book.

Wednesday, 8 May 2013

Western Australian author/illustrator James Foley is always on the go, presenting at schools and libraries and running fun workshops at bookshops in WA. Here's a sneak peek inside his studio, along with a few very important Top 5s.

1. Top 5 Things You Should Definitely Not Feed A Lion:

a house

a bomb

the principal

the Eiffel Tower

a toilet

2. Top 5 things children tell me I definitely should feed a lion:

a house

a bomb

the principal

the Eiffel Tower

a toilet

Top 5 Things you definitely should not feed small children or lions:

Well you should never feed small children to lions, and you should never feed lions to small children.

BUT, you can try feeding larger children to lions (it's more of a satisfying meal) and you can try feeding a single small lion to a group of children (I don't think they'd be able to polish off more than one lion but it depends on the size of the group and the size of the children).

Small children and lions should also never eat chewing gum, or anything else that will stick to their hair or their mane - or their parents' hair or mane.

Small children and lions should never eat anything they find down the back of the couch.

Small children and lions should never eat tuna mornay. (It just tastes really gross).

Wednesday, 1 May 2013

Here’s a sneak peek inside one of our lovely new May titles, Somebody’s House, written by Katrina Germein and illustrated by Anthea Stead. It’s a vibrant, active book full of questions and wonderings, perfect for early readers.

At the bottom of town lies a long looping street. I wonder who lives here. Who will we meet?

Ever wonder how artists get that perfect colour? Anthea snaps photos and keep track of hues she loves, from a rich, purply eggplant to the subtle green of a particular leaf.

Best-selling picture book author Katrina Germein writes stories that delight children and adults alike. In 2011 Katrina's book My Dad Thinks He's Funny was short-listed for children's choice awards across Australia as well as being Highly Commended in the Prime Minister's Literary Awards. Aside from writing, sunshine makes Katrina happy and so does swimming in the sea with her three children.

Anthea Stead is a graphic designer and illustrator who grew up in Sydney's western suburbs. She graduated from Sydney College of the Arts with a BA in Visual Communications and from there designed magazines both in Sydney and the UK while freelancing on the side as an illustrator. Anthea lives on the south coast of NSW with her husband and daughter. Somebody's House is her first book.